The name of Lionel Messi once again surfaced during the recent FC Barcelona presidential election campaign, something that did not sit well with the player’s entourage. While the club was going through intense weeks of internal political debate, several candidates decided to mention the Argentine during their speeches.
The elections ultimately ended with Joan Laporta winning and renewing his mandate as president of the club. However, the repeated use of Messi’s name during the campaign created discomfort around the former Barça star.
According to Lluís Carrasco, a person close to Messi’s circle, the Argentine is tired of seeing his name constantly used in political debates related to the club.
Messi did not want to take part in the campaign
Throughout the entire electoral process, Messi chose to stay completely on the sidelines of what was happening at FC Barcelona. The former Barça player did not send any public message nor did he comment on any of the candidates.
People close to him insist that this decision was fully intentional. The footballer did not want his figure to be interpreted as support for any of the projects competing for the presidency.
“Lionel Messi is completely fed up with candidates using his name in FC Barcelona elections without his permission,” Carrasco explained.
Silence was a carefully considered decision
Messi’s entourage believes that even a simple comment could have been interpreted as taking a political stance within the club. In a sensitive moment like presidential elections, any public gesture can easily generate biased interpretations.
For that reason, Messi decided to remain completely silent during the entire electoral campaign. The objective was to avoid any kind of controversy or speculation about his preferences.
“If he had wanted to participate, he would have made it known. He didn’t because he didn’t want to get involved,” Carrasco added.
Warnings for using his name
During the campaign, some candidates mentioned the Argentine in public events and interviews. That use of Messi’s name did not go down well within his circle.
According to Carrasco, one of the candidates even risked receiving some kind of warning for doing so.
“One of the candidates risked receiving a warning or some kind of sanction for using his name,” he said.
However, no further details were provided about which candidate made those references.
Messi prefers to stay away from Barça politics
Now that the electoral process has finished and Laporta has been confirmed again as president, Messi’s entourage wanted to clarify the situation once and for all. The Argentine’s intention was always to stay away from the internal politics of the club.
Messi remains one of the most important figures in the history of FC Barcelona, but he does not want his name to be used in institutional debates.
“The reality is simple: Messi did not want to participate, and he did not participate,” Carrasco concluded.
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